A critical feature for email user agents and services is the ability for users to avoid unwanted emails variously categorized as Spam, Phishing email and junk emails. Spam or junk e-mail is unwanted or unsolicited email from the Internet. Typically, an online email service provider incorporates spam and phishing email filters into their service which eliminate spam before it reaches a user's inbox. Some services may allow users a number of limited options to adjust the filters. Users may, for example, navigate to a settings page which allows them to select between settings which can alter how stringently a filter is applied to incoming messages.
Normally, changing such settings have no immediate effect on the appearance of mail a user's mail folder. The effect of changing the users settings is on mail delivered subsequent to the change. New mail delivered subsequent to the change is delivered in accordance with the settings provided by the user. Mail previously delivered and routed to a deleted items folder or a special Junk or Spam folder is not affected.
In addition, users typically have the option of setting up a safe list and a black list. The safe list indicates that some mail which was identified as potentially being spam is acceptable to deliver. The blacklist indicates that mail from specific senders or domains would not be delivered.